[Joe 6-pack]

Anyone who's ever sentimentally kept a pocketknife from their grandfather, a wristwatch from their father, a photograph of their mom, or the collar of a fondly remembered dog is as guilty of "idol worship" as are those accused of "praying" to the shroud. IMHO, a fondness and respect for another's legacy items are merely signatures of a deeper more meaningful personal bond between the individuals.

Although my personal belief is that it is in fact the burial (and more correctly, the resurrection) shroud of Christ, even if it is the work of human hands, the inspiration, devotion and skill to create such a remarkable and technically perfect objet d'art is to me, further evidence of presence of the Divine.

[wagglebee]

I believe, but cannot definitively say, that this is the shroud that our Lord left in His tomb at the Resurrection. But consider these facts:

1. NOBODY can figure out how to recreate the image today, let alone explain how a medieval artist could have done so.

2. The Gospels talk about the cloth being left in the tomb, why make that mention? What was our Lord wearing when He appeared to the women and later to the Disciples?

3. If He DID impose His image on the Shroud, the ONLY LOGICAL CONCLUSION is that He did it for a REASON.